Silence Therapeutics plc, a biotechnology company specializing in RNA interference (RNAi) therapies, has announced the initiation of a Phase 1 clinical trial by AstraZeneca for the first product candidate from their siRNA (short interfering RNA) collaboration. This marks a significant milestone for Silence Therapeutics, triggering a $10.0 million payment from AstraZeneca.
Craig Tooman, President and CEO of Silence, highlighted this as the first clinical milestone within the AstraZeneca partnership and a testament to the capabilities of their mRNAi GOLD™ platform. He also noted the advancements of Silence’s proprietary pipeline with promising data from their zerlasiran and divesiran programs targeting high Lp(a) and polycythemia vera, respectively.
Regina Fritsche Danielson from AstraZeneca emphasized the partnership’s aim to develop innovative therapies for cardiovascular, renal, metabolic, and respiratory diseases using Silence’s RNAi technology.
The collaboration, initiated in March 2020, allows AstraZeneca to leverage Silence’s mRNAi GOLD™ platform to develop siRNA therapeutics. The agreement, which may encompass up to ten targets, includes option fees, development, and commercialization milestones, and sales royalties for Silence.
Silence Therapeutics focuses on developing RNAi-based treatments to inhibit specific genes associated with diseases that have unmet medical needs, particularly targeting liver-associated conditions. Their wholly-owned product candidates, SLN360 and divesiran, address cardiovascular risk and hematological diseases. In addition to their work with AstraZeneca, Silence Therapeutics maintains collaborations with Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, Hansoh Pharma, and others.
More information about Silence Therapeutics and their work can be found on their website, which also details the forward-looking statements made in the announcement.
Jon Napitupulu is Director of Media Relations at The Clinical Trial Vanguard. Jon, a computer data scientist, focuses on the latest clinical trial industry news and trends.
